ttrpg

Foundry is amazing. I used Roll20 for years (5e and a bit of PF2e), found it to be a bit unintuitive, albeit free. You can do most things in the system, but the plug-ins available for Foundry are miles and leagues better. Also, macros are a bit tough. I can't imagine running PF2e in the system for very long, especially for complex classes like Alchemist or Thaumaturge.

I'm currently a player in a Fantasy Grounds campaign (5e). As a player, it's fine. I don't like the interface very much, but it's fine for 5e which is already a pretty light system. Panning on maps, targeting enemies is frustrating and I feel like I have too many windows open at any given time.

Been using Foundry just shy of a year, DMing 3 games. It's amazing. Plug-ins for anything you need - ranging from DM QoL upgrades like Simple Calendar, atmospheric upgrades like music bundles, the always incredible Pathmuncher, and class-specific tools like the Thamaturge package. The built-in Compendium for PF2e makes DMing so easy, I can look literally everything up and most things have macros pre-built. Hosting from my PC was a bit harder, but doable.

Currently learning how to make custom macros, which has been tough, but there's a huge community and usually you can copy-paste details from other abilities.

Do you have any specific questions about the software?

Not a fan of 2d tabletop platforms.

They are very much easier to use, easier to understand (sometimes) and have a wider variety of plugins/features that allow you to use modules right in the software. So, there is that bonus to them.

Personally, I like building 3d tabletops. I use to use Tabletop Simulator and building the maps in Unity together before switching over to Talespire entirely which basically is a easier to use version of both. My biggest criticism of Talespire over Tabletop Simulator is that there is no workshop. At the same time it is far, far quicker to build a map in Talespire for DnD, VtM or other "pen-and-paper" style games.

For Warhammer Tabletop Sim just can't be beat. Had a blast on there playing some 40k and I don't have to deal with insufferable nerds at my LGS.

One of the maps I built in Talespire. Some details are missing as this was taken in progress while building.

I've been DMing on Fantasy Grounds and I've been enjoying it. The organizational tools for DM's is amazing and I love all the extensions. They've also been improving the interface pretty steadily recently (like making panning the map easier which one other person mentioned) especially since the guy from DnD Beyond has joined and made it his number one mission.

Havent used Foundry to compare it to, though. I haven't used Roll20 and do prefer FGU to that.

Haven't played in a while but I used roll20 with the 5e tools plugin that gives access to all the 5e content with pre-programmed macros, that was extremely good for being free

If you are interested in something that does a great job of capturing the "D&D" vibe but not crunchy, I recommend https://chasingadventuregame.com/files/Chasing%20Adventure%20Free%201.6.pdf

Foundry is a really neat VTT I just wish there was a way for a single host to allow access to unlimited amount of "tables"

If it is your kind of thing it support for animated maps is fantastic.

FWIW there is also Owlbear Rodeo https://www.owlbear.rodeo/

I have a lot of experience with Foundry and I think it is great. Very easy to run games in person or remote, plenty of modules and buy in from community creators and larger businesses for free or to purchase. There is a learning curve to getting it set up and running smoothly, but eventually it will become second nature. You can get as complex or light with integrations as you want for the most part. My groups started with D&D 5e and switched to Pathfinder 2e and have had a decent experience with both.

Started on actual tabletops with a map drawn on paper, then moved online and through a few VTTs once the pandemic kicked off: Foundry is the GOAT. It's beyond GOAT. Foundry solves problems you didn't even realise existed.

The biggest issue it has is setup - installing and running it on a home computer is not particularly difficult, but it does require a decent amount of computing power and internet upload speed, so if you're lacking either you're probably gonna need to pay for hosting on something like Forge. It also requires more setup of a world just to bring players in, so you can't just throw some tokens on a blank background and start playing like in Roll20. You can waste a lot of time installing endless modules to customise things just how you want, too.

After that though, you're genuinely golden in a way you will never be on something like Roll20. Setting up a character really is as simple as dragging and dropping from the compendium. Drop a weapon in your inventory and it'll make the macros for attack and damage. Drag an effect or condition onto a character's token and it'll apply the bonuses or maluses automatically. Background music and SFX are easy to set up and play, or you can have them automatically play when you load a specific map, or even confine them so they can only be heard when the character's tokens are in a specific room.

Someone else already mentioned PF2e, but I'll reiterate it here: While Foundry is already great, PF2e is where it shines brightest. It'll run pretty much any other system at least as well as its competitors (which means you'll have to do your own work automating some parts, or do them "by hand"), but the volunteers behind the PF2e system do absolutely immaculate work implementing every possible aspect of the game, sometimes within a few days of the content releasing. Being able to choose any action and just drag it into your character sheet, then click a button to have the computer do the maths, not only makes playing a breeze but helps highlight how even though there are a lot of rules, the mechanical similarities make them very intuitive to use and learn. Add in one of the official premade Adventure Paths or Modules (which can look pricey, but generally come out to £5-£10 each when spread among a group) and you can literally run the entire thing without any preparation beyond importing the module and setting up characters - for the Beginners Box adventure, you probably wouldn't even need to read the PF2e's rules beforehand.

Im a little dissapointed that it isnt easier to pirate the paid modules for alot of systems, but being able to speed up combat in crunchy systems is a godsend. No combat turn should take over a minute in any game.

I ran a campaign of the Unofficial Elder Scrolls RPG that someone had developed a working module for on it. I liked Foundry, the ability to get plugins easy was pretty helpful and cool. Things like staircase teleporters, pins that can take a player to different scenes, and an almighty calendar. When I tried a in-person Foundry-assisted little campaign this year, I think it worked out well having my tower on a big screen as a player, my cheapo laptop as the GM, and any other devices my players brought.

Unfortunately, self-hosting is too much trouble for myself so I had to go through a service (The Forge) to host. At that point I had to pay for a service anyways, but it was the only way to get a working UESRPG game going.